Ever since Don and Jane Medenwaldt moved
to Abbotsford in 1966, they’ve been contributing to their
community, both as public educators and advocates for the city
they’ve decided to call home.

Outside of their respective careers in
public service, Don spent 35 years as a teacher at Abbotsford High
School and Jane worked for 34 years as the city’s library
director. The couple has given their time and talents to various
civic groups and city endeavors. "We believe in being involved in
the community and we believe in public service," Don said.

The Medenwaldt’s will be honored
for their contributions with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the
Abbotsford-Colby Area Chamber of Commerce annual banquet on Sunday
in Curtiss.

The Medenwald’s first moved to
Abbotsford in the mid-1960’s after Don accepted a teaching
job at Abbotsford High School. Having earned his teaching degree at
UW-Superior, he had been employed at Melrose-Mindoro for two years
previously. He went on to cover a wide range of subjects in Abby,
including history, economics and psychology.

They had driven through this area
numerous times before moving here, and during one of these trips on
Memorial Day weekend, Don used a local phone booth to call up the
newly build high school and inquire about job openings. By Friday
of that week, he has a new job a as teacher in Abbotsford.

The couple’s first son, Todd, was
one year old at the time, so Jane stayed at home to raise him.
Eventually, the couple had two other sons, Chris and Paul, and all
three went through the Abby school system.

Don said the demographics have changed
quite a bit since 1966. "When we first moved here, it wasn’t
unusual to have families that had five to seven kids," he said.
"Gradually, the families got smaller."

The also recall several major
developments, including the formation of the Colby-Abbotsford
Police Department in 1969, the arrival of Abbyland Foods and the
East Town Mall in the 1970s and ‘80s, and the construction of
the STH 29 bypass in the 1990’s.

Jane, whose education was in the medical
field, started working in the city’s library in 1977 and
eventually became its first-ever certified director. She helped
usher in the construction of a new library before retiring at the
end of 2011.

Don said they never seriously considered
moving out of Abbotsford, and after a few years of renting a place
on Third Street, they build their own house on Hickory Street in
1973.

"We always said the smartest thing we did
was build a house a block from school and a block from church,"
Jane added. "There’s none of this hauling kids around."

The Medenwalts are members of St.
Bernard’s Catholic Church, where Don has served on the parish
council and the finance council and taught CCD classes, while Jane
taught a pre-school religious class and was head of what was once
called the Altar Society.

The couple also joined the Abbotsford
Jaycees, which ran a summer recreation program, did Christmas Tree
pickups, sold beer at Abby Dairy Days and did several other civic
projects. Don went on to be president of the Jaycees. "We had just
a real good bunch of people," he said.

In his 35 years as a teacher in the
Abbotsford School District, Don witnessed a lot of changes,
including the arrival of the first computer in the mid-1970’s
to the proliferation of computer labs in the 1990’s.

But the most memorable aspect of his job,
he said, was watching his students grow up and start their own
careers and families. In some cases, he taught three generations of
the same family. "I have tremendous memories from my students," he
said. "You’re always happy when you see them having
success."

Aside from teaching, Don also coached
football, basketball, track and field and baseball. And Jane was
always there at the games, cheering on her husband, one of their
three sons, or, in recent years, their granddaughter, Madison.
"I’ve always said I’ve been sitting on the bleachers
since 1966," she said. "That keeps you involved with kids and keeps
you positive. You see the good in kids."

When Don retired from teaching in 2001,
he wanted to stay involved in the district, so he successfully ran
for school board the next year and continues to serve as its
president, 10 years later. Don says his experience on the board has
offered him a different perspective on public education. "The basic
difference is that you’ve moved to the other side," he said.
"You’re answering to the taxpayer a lot more than
you’re answering to the parents and their student."

This new perspective was put to the test
in the lead up to the 2007 referendum, which resulted in the
construction of a new elementary school. Don said the board took a
supportive stance, but also welcomed public input to make sure the
community was on board.

"In general, our community was really
receptive, at all age levels." He said. "And we had tremendous
support from our educational staff."

Both Don and Jane have served on planning
and fundraising committees for al the new public facilities in
Abbotsford, from the elementary school to the new library/city hall
and public safety building.

As library director, Jane was
particularly involved in trying to generate support for the new
municipal center. "There was controversy at first, but once it
started happening - when the dirt started flying - there were so
may people who stepped forward and said ‘look what
we’re doing!" she said.

Like her husband’s career as a
teacher, Jane said her years as a library director were immensely
rewarding. "Watching some little kids, for the first time, sound
out words in a book," she said. "That never gets old."

While he was still teaching, don earned
his realtor’s license in the late 1970’s and started
working for Schiferl Realty during the summers. He continued to
work at what is now Kramer/Schiferl Realty, and he sees the job as
being a promoter of the Abbotsford area.

Jane said it helps that they’ve
lived in the city for so long and raised a family here. "If
you’re not living in it yourself, you’re not doing it
justice," She said.

As someone who was invested in the
city’s future, Don also participated in the development of
its comprehensive plan and continues to serve on the planning
commission.

Don also volunteered as an EMT for 25
years, from 1977 to 2002, and he watched the department grown to
what it is today from a crew of just five people using a
hearse-style ambulance. "Sometimes, we were very busy," he said.
"Gradually, we got more and more people interested in being
EMT’s"

An avid fishermen and hunter, Don has
been a member of the Abbotsford Sportsmen’s Club for 40
years, serving as a president for a time and helping build the
clubhouse north of town. He’s also been a member of the
Conservation Congress, representing Clark County, for 12 years.

With all of his time-consuming
activities, Don said his wife was always there to keep him going.
"If I was busier than Jane, then, well, she was the support," he
said.

As the parents of three boys, both Don
and Jane also participated in the Cub Scouts in the 1970’s
and 1980’s. "Every parent should have to do that once," she
said. "It’s very humbling."

The couple has also been involved in the
Abbotsford Christmas Parade since its inception in the early
1970’s. "We’ve always been associated with the Old Lady
and the Shoe," He said. Don continues to help get the floats ready
and put them away before and after the annual parade.

Don said they are also proud of their
work with the Abbotsford Education Foundation, which started in the
1990’s and provides scholarships and funding for arts and
curriculum enrichment, among other things. "Our biggest project
right now is providing for the all-school reunion here this year,
which will take in students from 1920 through 2011," he said.

Don and Jane have three granddaughters,
including Madison, who graduated from Abbotsford High School and is
now in her third year at UW-Stout. The other two, Kajen 10, and
Jersey, 7, are the daughters of their son Chris, who lives in
Brodhead and works as an assistant principal in Elkhorn.

Jane says they have always hoped to lead
by example, and she sees that in their kids and grandkids. "One of
our granddaughters, who is in third grade, organized a penny
collection fundraiser," she said. "I thought to myself "Yeah, she
gets it."

It also fits with her general philosophy
on community service: "You don’t have to do bit things.
Little things count too."